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A great idea but just doesn't work

My little boy loves sitting in his high chair but does like to be entrained. As a result I have a host of dance moves and animal sounds which does the trick and keeps his mum fit. Who needs Zumba?! Having said which his mum does get quite tired and would like a bit of a break as no doubt would her neighbours whose view of slightly mad woman jumping up and down must be tiring for them too.

I was given this toy by a friend and had such high hopes for it. It is made from quite colourful plastic with a suction pad on the bottom so you can stick it onto the tray attachment of your high chair. The parts revolve so keep baby entertained.

As soon as I showed it to the little man his eyes lit up and he stretched out his hands for it. Obviously he is a bit tired of his mother's dancing too. He was very keen to spin the shapes around and I thought he would be a good way to keep him entertained whilst I prepared his food. I was given it as a gift but I be,dive it retails for around £10.

The problem in my case was the suction cup. I stuck it down quite firmly but the little man quickly detached it. The toy is quite hard plastic and not something I would want him to inadvertently hit himself with so I quickly wrestled it from his hands and tried again. Unfortunately once again it just didn't stick well enough to the tray. I have since tried wetting the suction cup but to no avail. The only way I can have the little man play with it is if I hold it down myself on the tray. To be fair that is less tiring than dancing but not how I envisaged the toy being used.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this as a high chair toy. Although my son does like the colours and moving parts it just won't stick and it isn't the type of toy I would want him waving around. It is a pity because the idea is a good one and apart from the suction issue the toy is enjoyed by my son. I suppose you could superglue it to the tray to make it a permanent feature but this would make my already large tray even more difficult to clean. I am now on the lookout for a high chair toy made from foam so at least if the suction cup doesn't work there is less chance of injury.

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A good toy for baby but poor design

As well as buying toys that are new, I like to pick up extra little toys in second hand sales or charity shops, as it means when my 6 month old daughter is getting restless, I can produce something she hasn't seen before to distract (very welcome during this lengthy teething period!). It also means that I am building up a good range of toys, that should we have another baby, I will already had amassed a toybox of useful toys. One toy that I recently picked up at a second hair stall was this Marks and Spencers 'My First Spinning High Chair Toy', a slightly newer version of which (with different animals) can be picked up for a rather hefty £9.50 in Marks and Spencers toy zone.

Since this was a second hand find, which I picked up for an incredible 50p for something that looked brand new, this did not come with its original box, but I wasn't too bothered to be honest as I can't see how I would need too many instructions. My daughter is currently being weaned and sitting up in her highchair at meal times, and so I was looking out for a toy that would sit on the table of her chair to keep her amused and entertained whilst I prepared her food or until my husband and I finished our dinner. This looked like the perfect toy for the highchair.

This toy has a green base with a suction cup that can be attached to the high chair tray. I have no problem getting this attached, but the BIG BIG problem is that my daughter is able to get this off, without much pulling in a few minutes and it can end up a clatter on the floor (amazingly it hasn't broke yet!).

Despite the poor suction of the toy, the actual spinning part is a big hit with my daughter. Not only has it parts that can be rattled and twisted and turned, that are very accessible to small fingers, and big enough that she can manipulate the different elements on it, but another big plus is that the entire spinning part can be turned as well so my daughter can move the whole top half, as well as the smaller parts which therefore keep her amused very very well.

All in all, this is a bright colourful that really keeps my daughters attention, however at the full price of £9.50 I think this si quite steep given the very poor suction that is meant to hold the toy to the high chair table. THis is a major flaw that needs to be addressed as so far my daughter hasn't managed to break this toy when it falls to the floor, but it will inevitably happen, especially when it is so easy for her to remove it. Great idea, great elements to it, but Marks and Spencers really needs to address the suction issue!